Tommy Robson opens up on being frozen out at Sunderland and training on his own

Tommy Robson has revealed his frustrations at being frozen out at Sunderland after joining Scottish Championship side Falkirk.

The 22-year old signed for the Bairns today on an initial six-month contract after being released from his Sunderland contract.

Robson played in the Premier League at Watford

Robson, who has already started training at The Falkirk Stadium, will officially join the the club on January 1, subject to clearance.

And he says he can't wait to get playing again after being frozen out at the Academy of Light where he was forced to train on his own.

He said: "It feels good, I’ve obviously known about it for a while now, but it’s just taken a while to get sorted down at Sunderland and what have you, but I’m looking forward to starting to playing football again because it’s been a while to be honest.

"My last proper game was June. I’ve hardly played. A lot of friendlies but nothing competitive.

"There were limited chances at Sunderland. And the system they are employing there is if you’re not getting a chance they’ll push the younger boy through in your place which left me in between doing nothing in no-man’s land."

The left-back slipped right out of the frame at the Black Cats despite making his Premier League debut under Sam Allardyce in the last game of the 2015/16 season in a 2-2 draw at Watford.

His hopes of securing a loan deal last season were thwarted first by the uncertain future surrounding first-team left-back Patrick van Aanholt, who eventually departed to Crystal Palace in January.

Robson eventually joined Irish Premier Division side Limerick FC where he featured 17 times during a four-month loan spell but has been completely out of the picture at the Academy of Light since his return.

He said: "I was hoping to make a move out and possibly to Scotland but there was the whole scenario with Patrick van Aanholt and the club wouldn’t let me leave, and he went last minute and the club brought someone in straight away and I was stuck there.

"I ended up going on loan to Limerick. I enjoyed it. It was something different and what I needed. I needed first team games that’s what I still need and I really enjoyed it.

"I haven’t really been training with the reserves at Sunderland for the past year – I’ve been doing my own thing for the past two months. I’ve trained on my own.

"That was just the situation at the club with myself and it wasn’t ideal to be honest. I just needed out and they weren’t helping me. This is a massive relief and it’s a fresh start for me.

"It’s not ideal for young guys coming through at Sunderland or it hasn’t been for them. The club hasn't been in an ideal place to play kids have they? But look this week, they put two kids on and one scored the winner. That speaks volumes.

My taste of the Premier League was unbelievable. No-one can ever take it away from me, and that’s what the aim is now to get back to or as close to that highest level I can get to."